New CSAA-D Program Coordinator

I write today to introduce myself as the new program coordinator for the CSAA-D Program! My name is Chris Linder and am excited to build on the work of previous leaders in the CSAA-D Program to continue moving the CSAA-D Program forward. We are working on continuing to recruit outstanding students to the CSAA-D Program, so if you know of folks who may be interested in pursuing at PhD in CSAA at UGA, please send them our way! I am happy to talk with folks via phone or Skype (or in person if they are in the area!) and we are hosting a virtual information session on Wednesday, October 26 at 6 p.m. EST via YouTube Stream, https://youtu.be/I0wOrUrYJqg.

Although I have been a faculty member at UGA for three years, I thought it may be helpful to share a bit more about me and what I bring to this role. I worked as a student affairs educator for 10 years prior to becoming faculty, with the bulk of my career being as the director of the women’s center at Colorado State University. I also worked in Greek Life at the University of Missouri prior to moving to Colorado. My research interests primarily stem from my experience as a practitioner, largely focusing on creating and maintaining equitable campus environments. Most recently, my work has focused on examining the intersections of identity and sexual violence. A colleague, Dr. Jessica C. Harris, and I co-edited a book, Intersections of Identity and Sexual Violence on Campus: Centering Minoritized Students’ Experiences (Stylus, Jan 2107), challenging us as student affairs educators to consider a more complex approach to addressing sexual violence. Currently, I am leading a research team of doctoral students and colleagues to explore the relationship between student activists and campus administrators and educators.

My previous experience as a university administrator provides me with a strong foundation for managing the day-to-day logistics of the PhD program, along with exploring avenues for continuing to grow the doctoral program. I have been meeting with key partners around the UGA campus to enhance the number of doctoral-level assistantships we can provide to incoming students and to learn more about ways people believe we can improve the program moving forward. In the coming months, we will spend some time looking at the curriculum in the PhD program to ensure we are meeting the needs of students in the program as well as the needs of the field at large. If you have any feedback for us, please do not hesitate to contact us at csaaphd@uga.edu.